Novel integrated shock protection for MEMS

This paper reports the design and analysis of two novel concepts for shock protection of MEMS devices using nonlinear springs and soft coatings. Hard shock stops have conventionally been used for shock protection for MEMS devices, but their operation generates secondary impacts and unwanted device oscillations. The two concepts described herein aim to improve shock protection by reducing secondary impacts and dissipating energy. We analyze the merits and demerits of each concept using simulation methods and also suggest ranges of shock stop design parameters to enhance performance. Doing so reveals that the nonlinear spring shock stops are capable of reducing impulses by over 90% while soft coatings may reduce impulses by 40%.